Air starting mechanism for oil-engines.



L, vl. STOBLTZLEN.. AIRSTARTING MEGHANISM FOR OIL ENGINES.

` AYPLIOATLON EILB) SEPT. 30, 1912.

1 Q-8'406, Patented Feb; 17, 1914u Wit messes- Im/e mor,

' bb Leovtoeltzlerl.

Vmay be provided with as many narran sinrns PATENT onirica.

LEO V. STOELTZIJEN, OF ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AIR STARTING MECHANISM FOR OIL-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 17, 1914.

Application led September 30, 19.12. Serial No. 723,049.

have invented certain new and ifseful Im provements in Air Starting Mechanism for Oil-Engines, of which the following is al specification.

The present invention relates to air starting. mechanism for internal combustion engine/s and particularly to that type of engine which depends for its operation on compressing the air within the cylinder toa tempera-ture that is high enough to ignite the fuel injected by a blast of air. Such engines are commonly referred to as being of theconstant pressure type. In starting an engine of this character it is necessary to temporarily disconnect, or render inoperative the mechanism for actuating the needle valve that controls the admission of fuel to the engine when the air starting valve is opened.

The object of my invent-ion is to simplify and improve the means for starting such engines with an elastic Huid such as air under pressure.

A In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates one of the embodiments of my invention, Figure 1 is a view, partly in elevation, of an engine fittedv with my improved construction, and Figs. 2 and 3 are .diagrammatic views illustrating the operation of the mechanism.

1 indicates the base of the engine, and 2 a cylinder mounted thereon. The engine cylinders as is desired, some orall of which may be provided with starting valves. Mounted on top of each cylinder is a head, 3. In this head is a needle valve 4 that controls the admission of fuel to the combustion space of the cylinder inthe ordinary manner, and 5 is a starting valve of any suitable construction.

Air under pressure is admitted to the valve chamber from any suitable source by the pipe 6. The needle valve is'raised in normal operation ,by the lever 7, and is closed by the coiled compression spring 8,

-movement of the rod 20 the latter being mounted on a suitable frame, 9. The lever 7 is provided with a pivot that is made in the form of an eccentric 10, the latter being fastened on a shaft suitably supported in brackets, 11. On the needle valve is a' collar 12 that rests on the topof the lever when the latter is in its lowest operating position. The lever is actuated by an adjustable push rod 13 from l the cam 14, the lat-ter being mounted on a cam shaft 15 which is driven by suitableA gearing from the main shaft 16 of theengine. Under normal conditions the cam 14 raises the push rod, lever 7 and needle valve 4, every second revolution of the main shaft, the air starting mechanism being cut out of service.

Referring now to the air starting mechanism, the starting valve 5 is normally held against its seat by a coiling compression spring 17, the latter engaging the cylinder head at the bottom and a collar on the valve stem at the top. In order tol depress the valve for the purpose of opening it a lever 18 is provided that is mounted on a suitable fulcrum carried by the bracket 1l. One end of the lever.i s provided with a roller 19 which when depressed engages the top of the starting valve stem and opens it against the action ofthe compression spring 17.`v The lever is operated by a push rod 20 which is` pivoted at its lower end to alever 21. v.This lever is pivotally mountedon'a bell crank lever 22. The stud or pivot 22a therefor is carried by the frame of the'engine. The right hand end of the lever 21 is provided with a roller 23 that under Certain condi;

tions is adapted to engage the small ca m 24 mounted on the cam shaft 15. The bell crank lever V22 is actuated by a link 25, arm 26 and a handle 27, said arm and handle being mounted on the pivot 28, which is carried by the frame of the engine. The handle is provided with a spring pressed latch 29 that is adapted to enter one or the other of the notches 30 formed in the Xed segmental plate 81. In order to limit the downward it is provided with a collar 32 that engages-some part of the engine frame.

Cri

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3, the operation of the invention Will be described. As shown in F ig. 2, the lever 7 isin engagement With the collar 12 on the needle valve. Vhen it is raised by the action of the cam 14 and push rod 13 it will open the needle valve and permit fuel under blast pressure to enter the combustion space of the cylinder the starting valve in the mean While being idle. Assuming noW that the engine is idle and that it is desired to start it. The engine is rst turned over by a bar or other means to its starting position. The handle '27 is then swung to the left as is shown in Fig. 3. This causes the roller 23' on leveil 21 to be moved into engagement with the small cani 24, and said roller acts toimove the lever 21 on its fulcrum whereby the rod 20 is pushed upward carrying with it the lever 1S.

As a result of this the roller 19 depresses the starting valve 5 and admits airvunder high 'pressure to the cylinder. It Will be noted that the fuel valve lever 7 has been depressed so that -it no longer engages With the collar 12 on the needle valve. This is brought about by reasonof theturning of its eccentric pivot 10 Which is rigidly fastened to the shaft 18a and lever 18, the latter being moved by the rod 20. Under these conditions the engine Will start as an air engine and the cam 24 will. cause the starting valve 5 to be opened vand closed at the proper times during eajch complete cycle of operation. In other words in the present engine, the air starting valve will be opened every second stroke while the needle valve 4 remains idle. As soon as the engine has acquired suflicient momentum the handle 27` is' thrown to the right, the position shown in Figs. and 2, after which the engine'operates in the ordinary manner, the starting valve 5. remaining closed. Y

Myimproved mechanism *age of being easy to construct, is composed of simple parts that are not liable to get out of orderV and which are accessible so .that

they may be readily adjusted to give the exact lengths of movement required. 1t also has the important advantage that When the engine is operatingA in its normal mannelthe starting valve actuating means is idle thereby reducing wear on the parts and avoiding the movement of all parts unnecessary to normalf Working.

My invention is equally applicable to two cycle as Well as to four cycleengin'es by properly ,arranging the valve actuating cams. v

In accordance With theprovisions of the patent statutes, I have'described the-principle of operation of my invention, .together- With the apparatus which I now consider to .represent the best embodimentthereof;

but I desire to have it understood that the has the advanapparatus shown isonly illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out by other means.

What I claim as neiv and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An internal combustion engine having a fuel and a starting valve, in combination with a lever and cam shaft for normally actuating the `fuel valve, a lever for actuating the starting valve that is normally idle, a ful Crum that is common to both levers and a device for turning the fulcrum to simultaneously move the starting valve lever into operative relation with respect to the cam shaft and render the fuel. valve lever inoperative.

2. An internal combustion engine having a fuel and a starting valve, in combination with a lever for operating the fuel valve, a rotary ca m shaft for normally vibrating the lever, a pair of connected levers for actuating the starting valve, said levers being normally inactive, a fulcrum that is commonto the fuel valve lever and to one of said pair, and means for turning the fulcrum to render the fuel valve lever inoperative and move one of said pair of levers into opeative relation Withrespect to the, cam sha t.

3. An internal combustion engine having a fuel valve, anda startingvalve, in combination with a pivoted lever, a rotary cam shaft for vibrating thelever to causeit to i i open and close the fuel valve under normal conditions, a 'pair of connected levers for actuating the starting valve, a pivot for one of the levers, means for adjusting said pivot to n iove the lever into and out of operative relation with respect to the cam shaft, and a device moved by saidmeans for changing the position of the fulcrum of the fuel valve lever to vrender it inoperative.

4. An internal combustion engine having a fuel valve and a starting valve, in combination With a pivoted fuel valve lever, a cam shaft for vibrating the lever to open and close the valve, a lever system for opening thestarting valve that is normally inoperative, and ameans for simultaneously moving the fulcra of the fuel valve lever and leversystem to cut the fuel valve out of operation and the starting valve into operation.

5.- An internal combustion engine having a fuel valve and a starting valve, in combination With a pivoted fuel valve lever, a cam shaft for vibrating it to open and close the valve, a starting v lve lever, a second lever connected therevvi' i, and a means valve lever to open its valveand changes the position of the pivot of the fuel valve lever to prevent it from actuating its valve 6. An internl combustion engine having a fuel valve and a starting valve, in oombination with a fuel Valve lever, a cam shaft for actuating it, an adjustable pivot for said lever, a starting valve, a lever for actuating it and also adjusting the said pivot, a second lever linked thereto, an adjustable pivot for the second lever, and a handle for changing the position of the pivot of the second lever 10 and causing the starting ,valve lever to LEO V. STOELTZLEN.

Witnesses:

HERMANN LEMP, JOSEPH C. RILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner uf Patents.

Washington, D. G. 

